Baha'i Chorus
Without introduction, prelude, or accompaniment, a tenor sings the beautiful Arabic prayer, “Ya Bahá’u'l-Abhá,” ‘O Glory of the All Glorious.” The calligraphic design of this prayer is at the top of the dome of the Baha’i Temple. A fellow singer from Uganda who wore the nine pointed star , symbolic of the Baha’ faith looks upwards reverently as that beautiful voice reverberates within the auditorium.
The dome of the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette. From Baha'i Media Bank
So began the final event of the 3rd Annual Baha’i Choral Music Festival on Sunday May 24.
Led by Van Gilmer, the Music Director of the Baha’i House of Worship for North America, 150 singers from twenty five states and three countries joined together to share their faith through their music.
The Baha’i faith does not permit musical instrument during their worship services. In respect to this tradition, the chorus sang 14 pieces a capella (without instruments) and without sheet music– hymns, prayers, gospel songs, the classical liturgy of the Baha’i faith, and a rousing rendition of “I’m Going Back to the Father,” a Negro Spiritual.
Before each number, Maestro Gilmer displayed a piece of paper to the singers indicating which piece they would be performing. He then walked up in turn to the sopranos, tenors, basses, baritones and altos and blew into a pitch pipe. He returned to his stand and the music began.
What is remarkable is that this group made up of Baha’i choir members and other singers from across the country and around the world had 4 days to prepare. The often complex harmonies flowed smoothly between the sections often punctuated by solos, duets and trios from the chorus member and Maestro Gilmer himself.
Included in the program were readings of Sacred Writings for Meditation; The Bhagavad-Gita, Isaiah, John, The Qur’an, and Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u'lláh. These selections represent the Baha’i view “that the world’s major religions (are) a part of a single, progressive process through which God reveals His will to humanity.”
Following the readings, Maestro Gilmer began the second part of the program as he sang the lead on “I’m Going Back to the Father When I die;” while his elegant hands continued to direct the chorus.
When he sang, “I’ll join the heavenly choir,” the faces of the singers lit up in joy. As did many of us in the audience on that beautiful Sunday at the Baha’i Music Festival.
After the concert, the chorus sang a few pieces on the steps of the temple. We recorded them on video.
Comcast also recorded the concert and we’ll report as soon as that schedule is released.
However, as I wrote to Ellen Price from U.S. Baha’i National Center, “it will be hard (impossible really) to reproduce the feeling of being in your lovely sanctuary; watching the interaction between Maestro Gilmer and the choir and listening to the beautiful music.”
Bahai Choral Festival 2009 from Ageless NorthShore on Vimeo.
excellent article and links! The author captured the essence of this concert so well. Please let me know if the comcast broadcast will be available nation-wide.
Thank you for this wonderful story! I’m so glad you captured on video some of the singing they performed on the steps.
In response to the woman who asked if the Comcast broadcast will be available nationwide, our office (the U.S. Baha’i Office of Communications) taped the program for Comcast and will make at least portions of it available online soon. Viewers can check our YouTube site: http://www.youtube.com/usbahaifaith.
The choir performs most Sundays at the 12:30 service at the Temple. Call Van Gilmer at: 847-853-2330 to confirm the choir’s schedule. And – if you like to sing – consider joining the choir! (There is a youth choir as well.)
We hope everyone who attended the concerts enjoyed the experience.
It was a joy to sing with such a large group of singers. Normally we have around twenty to thirty singers the first three Sundays of the month. We need to sing on the upper floors where the choir loft is, because the dome is so high and our voices can not carry that high. But with over a hundred voices we can sing and commune along with the congregation and it creates a much more community feeling of worship to be all together. Prayer and meditation can be done solo and as a group. I enjoy sharing with others. Thank you to all the singers who came from far away. We worked hard learning all the pieces and had a wonderfully receptive audience. That helps us sing better and inspires us as singers. We look forward to sharing again with everyone next year.
I have not been able to attend any of the concerts because of conflicting commitments, but I WAS able to attend one practice for the first year of the conference. Just that attendance brought me to tears of joy! – How I wish I could have been there for THE concert!
I am relatively new to Choral singing as I’ve only been in my Jewish congregational choir for three years. In that time, my appreciation for and love of choral music has grown. It has enhanced the worship experience for me.
The Baha’i Choral festival still resonates with us…
Greetings to the Bahais of the USA from Bahais and Eeperantists in Australia. We would like to share with you an exciting way we are trying to reach children’s classes throughout Australia. We are preparing for them to learn Esperanto in all primary schools in Australia. This will lead to other countries doing the same. The next generation will experience the real meaning of Baha’u'llah’s teaching of the unity of man. These children will be the leaves of one tree. Allah’u'Abha
A one-hour, edited version of the choral concert is now on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oF2KCBg91U. We will be breaking it into smaller segments soon. Enjoy!
Van Gilmer (music director at the Bahá’í House of Worship) has a devotional program at his home once a month. The next gathering will be held this coming Wed, July 22nd at 7:30 p.m.
The programs include reading from the Baha’ faithi and other sacred texts and often offer prayers for healing or assistance to those in need. There is no established ritual and no solicitation of funds. Light refreshments will be served.
Info: at: vgilmer@usbnc.org or 847-733-2330.
[...] Following is a story about the concert with more information and some photos: http://bahai.us/2009_choral_festival. Be sure to read this glowing review of the concert posted on the “Ageless Northshore” website: http://ageless-northshore.com/bahai-choral-music/. [...]
[...] via the Pioneer Press then, as the author said, “[they] were blown away.” This first post appeared on May 28th, [...]